Sediment-disposing arrangement for laundry machines



Se t.,9, 1930. G. w. DUNHAM 75,

. SEDIMENT DISPOSING ARRANGEMENT FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Filed Jan. 11 1926 "pooouoooooooooooooooodc 00 090000065 GEAR 30X Patented Sepia-9, i930 UNITED STATESX PATENT OFFICE GEORGE W. DUNHAM, OF UTICA, NEW YdRK, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHIRLDRY CORPORA- TION, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SEDIMENT- -DISPOSING ARRANG-EMEN'J. FOR LAUNDRY MACHINES Application filed January 11, 1926. Serial No. 80,490.

. This invention relates to sediment disposingarrangements for laundry machines, and more particularly, to such an arrangement for use in a machinev in which the receptacle 1 for holding the soiled articles is of the imperforate type. v

In laundry machines ha ving receptacles of the imperforate type the: receptacle may be made with suflicientportions of ,the'walls im perforate so that the receptacle may hold both the soiled articles and the washing liquid for washing the same-during the washing period. A suitable agitating arrangement may be provided to agitate the soiled articles for washing. In this type of machine the receptacle with the soiled articles and liquid therein may be rotated at high speed to discharge the llquid during centrifugal drying operations.

- 0 In this type of receptacle the walls being "substantially imperforate, during the drying period the liquid will'be thrown to the outer walls over which it will climb and be thrown i clear of the receptacle. A suitable tank may '25, be provided to contain the receptacle and to hold the excess washing liquid .and to catch the'same during centrifugal drying operations. During the washing period the washing liquid may be pumpe rom the bottom T of the tank intothe top' of the eceptacle con- 'tinuously to replace the liquid w ich is kickedor s lashed out of the receptacle by the washing action and also to discard the scum andto provide an improved washing action.

- This type of mac'hineis described at length in co-pending application, Serial No. 18,086, filed March'25, 1925 According to the invention, in order to discard sediment which settles. to the lowest '40 point of the receptacle during washing operations small holes may be provided at the lowest oint of the receptacle to dispose of the sediment. The amount of washing liquid which is lost through these holes may 46 be so small compared to the amount of liquid -n1ercial embodiment of the invention is disclosed, but as such illustration is primarily for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood thatthe structure may be modified in various respects without departure from the broad spirit and scope of the invention as hereina-fter defined and claimed. y

I Fig. 1 is -an elevational'view of a laundry machine with a sediment disposing arrange.- ment according to the invention, parts of the machine being broken away to more clearly show the structure thereof; and 7 Fig. -'2 is a fragmentary view of the bottom of the receptacle showing the sediment disposing holes. 7 v

. In the following description and in the claim parts will 'be'identified by specific names for convenience; but they are intended to be as generic in-their'applic'ation to similar parts asthe art will permit.

Referring now to the drawing, the particular laundry machine illustrated may comprise a tank'l supported by suitable legs 2. Cooperating with the tank may be a hollow supporting column assembly which may comprise a supporting column 3 having a receptacle 4 journaled at the top of the same and having a suitablepump 5 and gearing disposed in a gear box 6 atthe bottom of the same: 1

The receptacle 4 which is of the imperforate type may comprise an annular up- .0

standing wall 7 flaring slightly upwardly and a tubular upstanding hub 8 concentric therewith. A bottom wall 9 may be provided formed integral with the side Wall 7, the bottom wall having formed therein an annular trough 10 and extending over into secure engagement withthe tubular hub 8. In order to provide additional reenforcing of the receptacle a reenforcing plate 11 may be provided extending from the bottom of the trough 10 to the hub 8 and fastened securely thereto. r

The bottom of the. trough may have a pluralityof sediment disposing holes 15 therein through which the sediment may be discharged from the receptacle in the manner hereinafter pointed out more in detail. The holes 15 may be so arranged that the amount of liquid lost through them is inappreciable when compared with the liquid continuously supplied by the discharge nozzle 19.

At the top of the .receptacle an upwardly and inwardly extending guard ring 13 may be secured to the side wall 7 by means .of a lap joint or any other suitable means. A plurality of overflow or discharge holes 14 may be provided through the lap joint to allow the liquid to be discharged from the receptacle during drying operations. The function of the guard ring is to prevent the loss of the articles which are being washed during the washing period and also during the drying period. A stand pipe or riser 16 may be provided at the side of the tank 1 having at the bottom thereof a trap or sump 17 and having a connection 18 with the discharge of the pump 5. The upper end of the riser 16 may end in a swingable discharge nozzle 19 which may be arranged to discharge selectively into the receptacle 4, into the tank 1 or clear of the tank.

In order to agitate the articles which are to be washed asuitable agitator may be provided whichmay consist of paddles or blades 21 so shaped as to effectively and thoroughly agitate the washing liquid and the soiled,

articles without destructive effects thereon.

It will be understood that suitable driving mechanism may be provided for imparting arotary oscillatory motion to the agitator during the washing period and for rotating the receptacle 4;,during the drying period, the power necessary for accomplishing these results being supplied by a motor 22 suspended fromthe bottom of the tank 1. The motor operates through suitable gearing which forms no part of this invention, having been covered in co-pending application, Serial No. 30,759, filed l\Iay 16, 1925. It will be understood that during the drying period the agitator may be removed from the machine by a suitable clutch connection. During the washing period the agitator may be given the rotary oscillatory motion above referred to, and the pump 5 set in operation to pump washing liquid from the bottom of the tank 1 through the riser 16 into the top of the receptacle 4. During the washing operation the washing liquid will be kicked and splashed out through the discharge holes by the agitator and also plied by the riser pipe 16.

As the agitator functions during washing operations the heavy sand and other dirtwhich tends to settle will eventually settle to the bottom of the trough-10 whence, due to the oscillatorymovements of the soiled articles and washing liquid, it will be pushed through the sedimentdisposing holes 15, whence it will fall to the bottom of the tank 1. The liquid in the bottom of the tank is comparatively quiet and most of the sediment Wlll. remain there where it can do no harm. If any sediment should be sucked into the pump 5 and discharged therefrom a good part may lodge in the trap or sump 1-7 and the very small part, if any, which may be carried up the riser 16 to be discharged back into the receptacle 4 will eventually work its way to the sediment disposing holes 15.

The centrifugal drying will be accomplished by the suitable gearing above referred to, the water being discharged through the discharge openings 14 as is well known in the art,- the discharge of liquid through the discharge nozzle 19 being stopped during this period.

It will be appreciated that the provision of holes in the bottom of the imperforate type receptacle ldoes not interfere in any way with the ability of the receptacle to effectively hold washing liquid for washing purposes and yet it allows the sediment to be effectively disposed. This arrangement is made possible by the continuous. circulation of washing liquid which is sufiicient to cause it to be continually discharged through the overflow holes 14.

In this'application the term imperforate type as applied to the receptacle is intended toinclude any type of receptacle which is sufficiently imperforate to hold laundry liquid for washing or other purposes, regardless of the fact that holes may be provided for certain purposes.

While I have shown and described and have pointed out in the annexed claim certain novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim In a laundry machine, a tank, a receptacle mounted therein, said receptacle being adapted to hold articles to be treated and having suflicient portions of its walls imperiorate to hold washing liquid, an agitator for agitating the liquid and articles, said receptacle having sediment disposing holes and means for continuously supplying said receptacle with washing liquid during Washing operations.

In testimony whereof I haye hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. DUNHAM. 

